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DNR will announce details on wolf hunting

Details on wolf hunting will be announced in the next couple of weeks.

The game and fish bill, which passed by narrow margins and signed Thursday by Gov. Mark Dayton, gives the Department of Natural Resources permission to set the number of permits that can be issued and the number of wolves that can be killed.

The bill also specifies that the season must start on the same day as the firearms deer hunting season. The bill gives the agency permission to set limits on permits and takes, and reserves a portion of the quota for trappers. Tentative plans call for distributing 6,000 permits, allowing for 400 wolves to be killed.

"Those may or may not change, but we'll announce what we're proposing for how many licenses we would issue; what the harvest would be and how we would stop the season if that quota was reached before the season was over," said Ed Boggess, DNR director for the fish and wildlife division.

Boggess said the DNR will be asking for public input, as well as consulting with tribal governments. Some native groups have expressed strong opposition to wolf hunting.

"We'll be seeking comment more about on how long the season is, splitting the season into an early season and late season," Boggess said.